The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-30
MEMENTOES OF BEECHER.
Amoxe u1s BOOKS AND ART osJxors

and Some Things that Troy 800 rhero-
Books thst the Preacher Didnt Use.
Relic and memento hunters are having .
Hne time at the exhibition Of Henry Ward
Beechers books, paintings, engravings, rugs,
ceramics, and bric-a-brac. They will all be
sold by auction before long, and the hunters
pay fifty cents visit to 20 to the art galleries
and pore over the treasures. taking notes Of
such specimens In the various departments rs
they will want to purchase. These hunters are
OF oil descriptions and both sexea Prominent
among them ia the thin-favored young man.
with high cheek bones and spectacles who
wears his winter before-last overcoat, the
pockets bullying with newspapers and PAM
phlets. He pays no attention to tho pottery and
scowls as he stumbles over o rug; and tho
paintings are not even glanced At he
busies himself in tho largo room whore
1850 books are placed on shelves within his
roach. 1t certainly Is odd that the more evil
dence book shows in dust-eaten covers and
general unkemptness that its past owners never
read or cared for It, the more highly
the antiquarian prizes IT. A now bind
ing strikes horror to his soul An In
stance Of this came peculiarly under tho
reporters eye while giving cursory
glance at the Beecher collection. Ranged on
an upper shelf in row was an elegantly bound
edition OF the Latin historians, essayiste, poets
and tho like. There must have been thirty
or more volumes In all, and tho names
of the editors on the calf covers were
evidence that the utmost scholarship and most
recent research had been embodied In the sup
Elementary notes. The works OF Terence
were. OF course, included comprised IN three
volumes The early aged antiquarian glanced
with plying contempt at the clean, comforta-
BILE books on the top row, but his eyes lit up
Alt hasr nhodp M On n
hands and seized dog-eared volume Of clum-
sy shape, bound in battered half cloth. printed
in wretched type. on worse paper. He turned
in in his his memoranda as desirable addition t.
By the progress Of philological knowledge.
collection nst e0a ase t6ose who Were evidently ad-
mirers OF the preacher during his lifetime.
and who seek now to secure mement9ss OF him
sion a they they are sadly confused By the wealth
OF objects to choose from. book seems the
Mr. Beecher. perhaps. the most appropriate;
but there are signs that books wore not always
the things to which the preacher most IsS
perusal. Many Of them were gifts from friends
ways. to put 1t mildly. chosen with sympa-
thetic understanding Of what Mr.. BeechSE liked ,d
wb
Which she thought she remembered seeing in
the preachers study on the occasion Of visit at
there. The husband had notion that some
thing actually used by MI. Beecher would be
licked ,bs srsaE Els the IT, e0o Il
reached up his hand and took down volume.
Opening at the fly Leaf, he showed his wife the
self sent it to his fayorite preacher on Christ
mas years before. He turned the pages proud
HAT she Snder had hs To. and
studious paper knife In the hand OF preafher
sse had # The Sd nj sghsd
ws o oesr sisr asse S
s who
the books, except such broad tones az contain
collections Of engrayngs and devote their rosy
mental miss wanted 80 much to secure An ele-
gan, Turkish rug. upon which she was sure the
@hs %armins himself ss his
but she was Just as sure that II would take
@ %Ss e could sss U S 1Ssa FL
holidays came, to say nothing Of the bonbons
snd and Chewing E1m ds5ns
tery. and IN their inspeeti9n 81 the vases vases
According saeo to the probable use to which the!
were personally put BY Mr.. Beecher. Few Of
them have any intenti0n Of buying dollars
by curiosity to soc, what manner Of matter Mr..
Beecher was fond Of 1t was just bit suR-
female figures are represented as coming from
bath, and that one Of them sh boIdn whisper e
thought he would have that in. his housed"
But It was good picture and showed cu\ti-
OF course: the artistic and Antiquarian
symmetry Of the COLLECTIONS Of man Ike Mr.
S q oon ss SS nS Il hs
spass W f.y
pictures that he cannot dispose Of. and, Yet
which he cares n9thing t for; EeHYs .;
hsre is
bric.a-bTao is there anything Ike a dis
merit; TIE potter, , shSvs MS
ths Go Owing psrtinaeIty Of the genuine eersmi-
cist, would have built up raro collection. As
it is there are few pieces o. value. many Of
lows Of the paintings and Of the snEravipgs
ond Is Tor tn eas 1as and
taste for what was good In them: but there is no
completeness in the collection. and the various
Something stS ii In the Course Of bis travels
aversion s1s to unremittins research Is
undoubtedly unlOaQoQ " MS Dack door on
Christmas days and birthdays. Examples Of
the futility Of selecting presents tor another
Guest Book" an expensive volume with half
verbal philosophy appearing now and then,
saurus 81 souvenirs Of visiting friends, though
what the details OF the plan were are not clear
dontly looked no deeper into IT than | did. for
the stiffness Of covers showed that the book
had been little opened, and not an entry occurs
anywhere on its beautiful pages 1t never had
days use after 1t had lain on drawing room
table, perhaps. to receive the admiration Of
callers as a fine gift.
~ To return to the suggestions Of character in
urally look among the theological works for
some indication OF the preaohSrs progress IN
opened 1t does not speak up and confess that
It has never been read through. but students
marks may be taken, as evidence whether or
among N I'll the eth theological works. which by the
way, are scattered through the library In no
semblance to order. an ancient-looking volume
called Grsenleafs Testimony OF the Evan
gests." The cover Is considerably worn.
probably from packing and travel for the leaves
from the press, The only marks ara brown